FDA contemplating Four Loko ban

Meagan Morris is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist living in New York City. In addition to SheKnows, Morris contributes to many publications including The New York Times, Yahoo! News, PopEater, NBC New York and Spinner. Follow he...

Four Loko maker plans change

The FDA is expected to ban Four Loko and other alcohol-based energy drinks today. What are the makers of Four Loko doing to counteract the impending ban?

First Washington state banned it, then New York. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce a Four Loko ban after today several college students were hospitalized with alcohol poisoning after drinking the caffeine-laden alcohol.

What is Four Loko?

Four Loko is a strong mix of alcohol and ingredients found in store-bought energy drinks. The extra-boozey beverage contains about four times the alcohol as a 12-ounce can of beer. Mixed with the alcohol and caffeine is taurine and guarana -- both potent energizers.

Four Loko is cheap too -- and that's why it's so popular with the college set. A 24-ounce can will set you back $2.50 while a six-pack of domestic beer runs closers to $5. Cheap + Potent = trouble for college students who don't know how to drink in moderation.

Other alcohol mixes targeted

Four Loko is the booze getting all of the attention, but there are others on the market that are receiving intense scrutiny from the FDA. One such drink, Joose, might be banned as early as Wednesday.

Four Loko ban: removing ingredients

Phusion Projects, the company behind Four Loko, said Tuesday that they plan to remove the caffeine, taurine and guarana from Four Loko. They are already pulling Four Loko from store shelves across the country to make the switch.

No word on the FDA's reaction to Phusion Projects change of heart -- but something tells us we won't be seeing any new alcohol/energy drink combos in stores anytime soon.